- Government White Paper:
"Strong Local Leadership – Quality Public Services"
The
Executive has welcomed the aspirations set out in the Government White
Paper which seeks improvements to Council services; enhances local democracy
and strengthens community leadership. The Executive has urged the Government
to regard the White Paper as a first step in the right direction towards
the reduction in Central Government control and freeing councils from
unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy. The Executive is also seeking
to impress on the Government that the comprehensive spending review
planned for later this year will provide an important opportunity to
minimise ring-fenced grants and radically increase the proportion of
local government funding controlled and raised locally. The report before
the Executive also considered the comprehensive performance assessment
and stressed the need for the Local Government Association to be fully
involved in the development and agreement of the national framework
for this process and have asked the Government to give further consideration
to the support to be given to authorities classed as coasting or poor
performing and the additional opportunities to be made available for
striving and high performing authorities.
- Arts Development: Review
of County Council Involvement
The
arts sector has warmly welcomed the decision to reintroduce budgetary
provision for arts development in Oxfordshire which has had a significant
effect in proportion to the relatively modest level of funding involved.
Generally, the effects have been felt in terms of pump priming of funding
from other bodies, increased confidence in the organisations involved,
improved partnerships with the organisations and influence to achieve
social benefits to the County through their work.
The
report before the Executive also reviewed the impact of the restoration
of funded arts development strategy and proposed a future direction
for the County Council in arts development in the County. Recognising
that, the Executive confirmed the existing policy objectives for arts
development and agreed 3 years service level agreements with the core-funded
bodies. The possibility of enlarging these grants or of extending co-funding
to other strategic arts bodies will be considered in the light of the
priorities to be determined by the County Council in setting its policy
and budget for 2003/04 and subsequent years.
The
Executive also noted the decisions of the Arts Council to disband independent
regional arts boards which meant the demise of the Southern Arts. The
County Council has paid an annual subscription of £46,000 to Southern
Arts and, until a better idea of the kind of relationship local authorities
will have with the new regional offices, the Executive considered that
this section of the budget should be used to meet other arts development
priorities until such time as a definitive working relationship has
been established.
17 April
2002
- Transport Capital Programme
2002/05
The
Government has approved spending of £18.6 million for new schemes to
improve transport conditions across the County. The Executive has now
agreed the allocation of the £18.6m Transport Capital Programme for
2002/03 and provisional programmes for 2003/04 and 2004/05.
The
programme covers major road maintenance works, safety improvements,
integrated transport strategies for the major towns, and schemes to
improve conditions for public transport, cycling and walking. The Executive
welcomes the Director of Environmental Services’ expectation to be able
to spend all of the £18.6m of the Single Capital Pot on Transport in
2002/03. This year’s programme includes funding for "rapid response"
measures which will provide an opportunity for dealing with minor issues
that arise during the year. The schemes will be undertaken in consultation
with the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning &
Waste.
30 April
2002
- Comprehensive Performance
Assessment
As
part of the comprehensive performance assessment process set up to assess
and classify all local authorities, the Executive have considered a
draft assessment document prior to its submission to the Audit Commission.
The Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee had also been invited to
look at the draft document and their comments were welcomed and considered.
The Executive approved the submission for dispatch to the Audit Commission
and authorised the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council to agree
further editorial amendments.
- Oxfordshire Economic
Partnership
The
Oxfordshire Economic Partnership is a key organisation in steering economic
policies in the County and initiating partnership projects both between
its members and with other agencies such as SEEDA. Its membership includes
the chambers of commerce and other representative business organisations,
local businesses, voluntary sector bodies, the universities and the
Oxfordshire local authorities. The Partnership’s vision is of "Oxfordshire
as a pioneering world class economy that fulfils the potential of its
inhabitants through continually developing its capacity for innovation,
business, personal development, research and education, and through
the effective management of its high quality environmental resources."
The
OEP is about to be constituted as a company limited by guarantee, and
the Council has a right of board representation – as do the five district
Councils. The Executive considers it important to take up this right
in order that when the company is formed the Council is represented
from the outset. The Executive considers moreover that the OEP should
be designated as "strategic" under paragraph 1(h) in Section H of the
Constitution. Subject to Council agreeing this status, the Executive
has nominated the Deputy Leader of the Council to represent the Council
on the OEP board, as her responsibilities include economic development
matters.
The
Council is RECOMMENDED to endorse the Oxfordshire Economic Partnership
as a Strategic Outside Body.
- Proposals for the Re-Provisioning
of the Oxfordshire Care Partnership Homes
Following
the transfer of the County Council’s homes for older people to the Oxfordshire
Care Partnership, the Executive has agreed a methodology for the transfer
of the remaining seven homes, in order to resolve their future development.
The process will commence with a consultation exercise on the re-provisioning
strategy to be agreed by the Executive in February 2003 and detailed
implementation and site acquisition by March 2007. A member/officer
Working Group has been established to advise the Executive during the
programme.
- Relocation of Museums
Service Workshop
The
Executive have agreed proposals to relocate the existing museum service
workshop at Fletcher’s House, Woodstock to the museum store at Standlake.
The re-location also involves the installation of a high quality 80-seat
education facility in the Coach House at the rear of Fletcher’s House.
28
May 2002
- Public Service Agreement
The
County Council is seeking to enter into a Public Service Agreement with
the Government. Having asked the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee
to consider the draft Agreement, the Executive have now looked at the
theme and targets proposed for inclusion in the Agreement along with
arrangements for its finalisation and submission to the DTLR by the
1 July 2002.
The
PSA will eventually be based on improved delivery of 12 national and
local performance targets which must include at least one national target
in each of the areas of Education, Social Services and Transport and
one target based on cost efficiency. "Raising Our Performance" and "Safeguarding
Our Communities" from the Oxfordshire Plan is the underlying theme for
the PSA. The Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader of the Council
have been authorised with the Chief Executive to draw up the formal
PSA submission.
- "Raising Our Performance"
through E-Government
The
Executive has authorised officers to pursue the principle of a joint
venture public partnership arrangement with the District Councils for
the development of one or more contact centres and related E-Government
initiatives. Tenders will now be invited for the provision of the external
consultancy for the current year and a seminar is to be arranged for
members and senior officers in the autumn following which the Executive
will consider the question of the scope of E-Government in Oxfordshire.
This recognises concerns expressed by the Executive to look at the financial
commitment of the County Council to this project and the severe pressures
on other areas of the County Council’s budget.
- Children and Families
Leaving Care